But police were unable to obtain any significant information from him about the source and destination of the sophisticated weapons.

"We are verifying the names that Manik gave us," said a top DB official seeking anonymity, adding that preliminary investigation has not revealed anything out of the ordinary with the persons named. Manik is now on a 14-day remand in two separate cases.

The DB official said the matter is being handled with utmost caution given the sensitive nature of the case and that police are making steady progress in unearthing the identity of the suspected gunrunners and the purpose of bringing such sophisticated firearms into the capital.

Police said they will follow up all possible leads once they are able to interrogate Abdul Aziz, one of the suspected gunrunners now undergoing treatment at Combined Military Hospital after being critically injured in Sunday's gunfight with police.

Meanwhile, the manhunt for Lincoln, a known drug-peddler of the Uttara-Airport area, continued yesterday for his suspected connection with the Kuril arms cache, police said.

Manik told police that Lincoln took the keys to his shop on Saturday afternoon saying he wouldn't go home that night because he had a quarrel with his parents.

Manik also said Lincoln was inside the shop at 8:00pm on Sunday.

Police raided several places in Uttara's Ashkona area but couldn't find Lincoln. Deputy Commissioner (North Zone) Golam Rasul said he was certain of Lincoln's involvement with the arms found in Kuril Badda.

Four AK-47 assault rifles, two revolvers, 20 hand grenades, four time bombs, a large number of AK-47 ammunition and other explosives were seized among other things from the signboard shop during Sunday's raid on the signboard shop.